Don Stevens Library - Motor Museum of Western Australia

Don Stevens Motor Museum Library

The Don Stevens Motor Museum Library is a unique and extensive collection dedicated to motoring history, comprising nearly 30,000 publications and continually growing through generous public donations.

This resource serves researchers including motoring historians, vehicle restorers, and home mechanics. The entire collection has been catalogued and is now easily searchable via our computer database in-house.

Located inside Ricciardo Hall at the Motor Museum of Western Australia, the library functions as a reference library rather than a lending library and to assist researchers, photocopying facilities are available for a nominal fee.

What Can You Find Inside the Library?

The library offers extensive reference materials across most car makes, including:

Parts catalogues, repair guides, and tool catalogues
Sales brochures, motoring fiction, and travelogues
Historical reference books, owner’s manuals, and instruction books
Mechanical engineering and restoration guides
Automobile encyclopaedias and registration details

A large collection of periodicals is also available, ranging from weekly motoring and trade journals to popular monthly magazines. These cover topics such as sales, marketing, technical, and trade. While predominantly Australian, collections also include British and American magazines, some rare and dating back over a century.

Additional holdings include:

Automotive manufacturer sales literature and owners’ operation manuals
Shop manuals, parts and accessories catalogues
Vehicle wiring diagrams, electrical specifications, and blueprints
Books on marque histories, biographies, motorsport, and various technical subjects
Factory and independent workshop manuals for older vehicles
A large collection of Australian and international motoring magazines

With more than 30,000 items, our library is a comprehensive resource for automotive research.

History of the Don Stevens Library

The reference library is named in recognition of Don Stevens, a Foundation Committee member and long-time volunteer who was instrumental in the establishment of this museum and was named in his honour on October 28th, 2021.

Library Management

The library collections are overseen by Museum staff, with day-to-day operations managed by dedicated volunteers. These volunteers, many of whom come from technical and professional backgrounds, play an essential role in cataloguing, sorting, and indexing the collection.

Access the Library

While the library is not generally open to the public for casual visits, research services are actively offered to scholars, journalists, authors, restorers, and interested individuals.

The Reference Library is an ideal starting point to explore motoring history. Visitors are welcome to browse or conduct in-depth research by appointment. Printing services are available at a small cost per page to cover expenses.

Opening Hours

The library is currently staffed on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 10am and 3pm. Visits to inspect the collection require a prior booking. Access at other times may be arranged by appointment.